The present invention relates to submersible marine vehicles, operable both upon and beneath water, of a type adapted for use by a scuba diver. The prior art of vehicles of this type has, for the most part, consisted of elongated cylindrical-tubular structures upon which the scuba diver could ride. Such prior art vehicles presented difficulty in the control and maneuverability thereof and, as well, presented something of a safety hazard in that the foot gear of the diver could become entangled within the propeller of such vehicles. Also, the backwash or wake of such vehicles occurred just beneath the body of the diver such that water, including fish and plant life, therein was subjected to turbidity and generalized churning because of the location of the propeller.
Other prior art know to the inventors, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,798 (1969) to Speers, entitled Toy Vessel For Use in Water, employed a horizontal plane configuration which did not address any of the above described shortcomings of the prior art.
The instant invention addresses the above set forth limitations of the prior art, providing a structure in which the propeller thereof is separated, both vertically and horizontally, from the body of the diver and which, as well, provides improved maneuverability versus prior art submersible marine vehicles suitable for use by scuba divers and the like.
The invention constitutes a submersible marine vehicle operable both upon and beneath water, the vehicle particularly comprising a fluid-tight elongated hull having a longitudinal axis in a direction of travel and having integral lateral hand gripping means, each of said hand gripping means including a longitudinal axis thereof, said hull also including velocity control means proximal to each of said gripping means, said hull further including, internally therewithin, energy storage means including power control and transfer means therefor within an air space in said hull, said air space also comprising buoyancy means for said vehicle. The inventive marine vehicle also includes a propeller shroud depending integrally downwardly from a lower surface of the hull. The invention further includes a propeller and motor therefor, said propeller mounted within said shroud transversely to a longitudinal axis of said hull, said propeller defining a plane of rotation in which a virtual extension of said plane intersects said longitudinal axes of said gripping means, said propeller having a diameter approximately equal to the interior diameter of said shroud, said motor in electrical communication with said power transfer means within said hull and subject to actuation by said velocity control means.
It is, accordingly, an object of the present invention to provide a submersible marine vehicle operable both upon and beneath the water, which will afford to an user of such vehicle improved safety, maneuverability, and visibility in the use thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a submersible marine vehicle of the above type having enhanced range and velocity as compared to prior art marine vehicles suitable for use by a scuba diver.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a submersible marine vehicle having a positive buoyancy when not loaded and a negative buoyancy when the weight of a scuba diver is added thereto.
It is a yet further object of the present invention to provide a marine vehicle of the above type which is light enough to be transported, without the usage of special lifting equipment, outside of a body of water.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a submersible marine vehicle capable of diving to depths of about 150 feet, having a lesser hull thickness than hull thicknesses of previously known submersible marine vehicles.
The above and yet other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the hereinafter set forth Brief Description of the Drawings, Detailed Description of the Invention and Claims appended herewith.